Louis beknhaedt



(No Model.) j l L. BERNHARDT.

AGGORDION. No. 286,679. Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BERXHARDT, OF BERGEN, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO J. HOVARD FOOTE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

ACCORDION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,679, dated October 16, 1883.

Application filed January G, 1883. (No model.) Patented in Germany January 2l, 1883.

To all whom it may concern: l or replace a spring thus constructed, it was Be it known that I, Louis BERNHARDT, a necessary to remove the keyfroni its seat in t citizen of the United States, residing in the `the key-board, and as all of the keys are piv- 55 city of Bergen, county of Hudson and State of oted upona single rod or wire, the withdrawal 5 New Jersey, have invented certain new and of this rod to release any particular keywas useful Improvements in Accordions, fully deliable to release several keys, or perhaps the scribed an d represented in the following specientire range, thus causing much delay and adfication and the accompanying drawings, formditional labor in replacing and readj usting the 6o ing a part ofthe same. keys and springs. The springs thus secured 1c lt is well known to those familiar with the were also liable to swing from side to side, so i., use of accordions and similar instruments that as to come into contact with the walls of their the keys, key-springs, and valves of these inrecesses, thereby occasioning an imperfect and struments are liable to become deranged when disagreeable action of the keys. Certain of 65 in use, so that it is frequently necessary to these defects are overcome bythe construction i 5 gain access to these parts for readjustment or shown in United States Letters Patent No. repair. ln these instruments as ordinarily 201,974, but said construction possesses other constructed the key-board is attached to the disadvantages. casing of the reed-chest, by screws or other The present invention also aims to cure the 7o similar means working from the inside of the before-mentioned defects, and to that end an- Qo latter, so that in order to gain access to any other feature of the invention consists in a part of the action of the key-board to repair spring of peculiar construction, whereby this or readjnst the same it is necessary to remove is accomplished.

the top ofthe instrument,containing the reed- The advantages of the features hereinbefore 7 5 chest, and then detach thekey-board therefrom. specified are not, as will readily be understood 2 5 This operation not only occasions considerable by those familiar with the art, confined to theretrouble and delay, but, if frequently repeated, pairing of instruments, but extend to the manis very liable to injure or displace the packing ufacture also, as by these means the assembling used to form a tight joint between the bellows of the parts is greatly 'facilitated and the -SO and the top casing of the instrument, so that springs are more readily and accurately ad- 3o a leak will be occasioned and the operation of justed to the proper pressure.

the instrument impaired or destroyed. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is It is the obj ect of the present i-nvention,among a perspective view, showing the top of an inother things, to provided a means bywhich acstrument provided with a key-board embody- 85 cess can be more readily obtained to the action ing the present invention, said top being at- 35v contained in the keyboards when repairs are tached to the bellows by screws inthe ordinary required, and to do this in such a manner that manner. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same all danger of injuring the instrument will be upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a side ele.-

aVOded. vat-ion, partly in section, of the same, the key- 9o To this end one feature of the invention conboard being swung away so as to expose the 4o sists in so constructing and arranging the keykeys, key-springs, and valves. Fig. et is a bot- I board that thekeys, key-springs, and valves tom plan view of a portion ofthe key-board,

carried thereby can be easily exposed and keys, key-springs and valves. Fig.5 is a secready access given thereto without removing tional detail of aportion ofthe key-board,taken 95 the top casing of the instrument, as was necat right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. Gis aperspective 45 essary in the former structures. view of one of the key-springs. Fig. 7 is a Another defect in instruments of this class like view of one of the keys. Fig. 8 is a like as heretofore constructed has been in the conview of a key-spring of a modified construcstruction of the key-springs, which have usution, and Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the key- IOC ally been provided with simple spike-Shanks, board, showing a different manner of securing 5o one of which was forced into the back of the the same to the casing of the reed-chest.

recess in the key-board and the other into the The reed-chest Ais of the ordinary construckey. In case it became necessary to -remove tion, and is provided with the usual key- `the ends of the key-board, as shown in Figs.

board, B, and casing C,for covering the valves, l place the springs, I bend one or both ends of the top or cover of the reed-chest having the usual openings, upon which the valves close. The valves 1 and keys 2 are also of the ordinary construction, the latter being pivoted in the usual manner upon a single rod 3, which passes through all of the keys and has bearings in the key-board. The springs 4, which serve to normally hold the valves in a closed position, are also, as is usual, placed in recesses 5 in the key-board, behind the keys. From this arrangement it will readily be seen that, in order to repair or readjust the keys, valves, or springs, it is necessary to expose the under side of the key-board and to obtain access to the recesses 5, and that when the key-board is attached in the ordinarymanner to or made a part of the reed-chest this can only be done by removing the top of the z'instrument, and then 'detaching the key-board from the casing of the reed-chest. To avoid this delay and trouble and the incident danger to the instrument, the key-board is made removable independently of the reed-chest, it being for this purpose provided with a hinge, 6, and latch 7, by which it can be secured in the position shown in Fig. 1 when the instrument is to be used, or swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 when it is desired to gain access to its action. By this arrangement it will be seen that access can be instantly had to any one of the keys, valves,`or springs, and that any one of these parts can be repaired without disturbing or disarranging any of the others and without the necessity of removing the top of the instrument.

The hinge 6 and latch 7 may be arranged at l and 3, or they may be arranged, as shown in Fig. 9, so that the keyboard shall swing backward, or, instead of a hinge and latch, two or more latches, catches, or other fastening devices may be used, so that the key-board can be entirely detached from the reedchest when it is desired to gain access to its action.

A part of the advantages just enumerated may be attained by making the l[op 12 of lthe key-board in a separate piece, as shown in Fig. 2, and so securing it to the body of the board in any suitable manner that it can be readily removed, or by making the back 13 of the keyboard separate and removable from the body.

By either of these constructions access can be readily obtained at any time to the recesses containing the springs, so that the latter can be removed or adjusted without removing the key-board; but these constructions will not, of course, facilitate access to the valves.

As before stated, when the ends of the springs 4 arebent so as to form spikes which enter the keys and the walls of their recesses, the springs are liable to turn so as to come into contact with the walls of the recesses, thereby causing imperfect action of the keys. To prevent this turning of the springs, and also to obviate the necessity of removing the keys from their pivots in order to remove and rethe springs, so as yto form quadrilateral loops 8, which iit squarely into the recesses 5, as shown in Fig. 5, in such manner as to always keep the springs in substantially a central position. One end of vthe springs, instead of being bent to aquadrilateral form, may be bent so as to form a projection, 9, as shown in Fig. 6, which enters a recess, 10, in the back of the key, so as to prevent the spring from moving toward the bottom of the recess 5. The keys may also be provided with central grooves, 11, 'in which the arms of the springs bearing against them will rest and by whichv these arms will be prevented from moving laterally.

The grooves 10 may be omitted if the loops 8 are made to iit tightly into the recesses 5, and both the grooves 10 and 11 may be omitted if the springs are provided with quadrilateral loops at both ends.

The springs 4, instead of being made of wire, as in Fig. 6, may be made of spring sheet-metal, as in Fig. 8'. The loops 8 need not be complete quadrilaterals, as shown, it only being essential that two bearing sides be provided to rest against the sides of the recesses.

Withthis construction it will readily be seen that by pressing the arms of any one of the springs together with a pair of forceps it can be easily removed fron and'replaced in lits recess. f

`1. The combination, with the reed-chest A, the top of which is provided with the valveopenings, of the key-board B, carrying the valves, keys, and key-springs, and means for detachably connecting said key-board to the IOO the recesses and prevent the bodies of the springs from turning so as to come into contact with said walls, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the key-board having recesses, as 5, of the keys having recesses, as 10, and the springs having broad ends 8 and projections 9, substantially as described. 5. The bent metal key-spring 4, having one or both of its ends provided with rectangular portions, as 8, extending beyond the body of the spring, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y t

. LOUIS BERNHARDT.

Witnesses:

J. A. HovEY, T. H. PALMER. 

